Category Archive: 3) Swiss Markets and News

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Investec is a distinctive Specialist Bank and Asset Manager. We provide a diverse range of financial products and services to a niche client base in three principal markets, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia, as well as certain other geographies. Investec’s strategic goals are motivated by the desire to develop an efficient and integrated business on an international scale through the active pursuit of clearly established core competencies in the group’s principal business areas.
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Swiss tech universities boost economy by CHF13 billion, report says

2018-02-07

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2018-02-07

Switzerland’s federal technology institutes account for 100,000 jobs and CHF13 billion in added value to the economy, a new report calculates. This represents a fivefold return on investment, it claims. The institutes – notably the universities of EPFL in Lausanne and ETH in Zurich – have long been acknowledged as vital components of the Swiss image and economy; the reportexternal link by British consulting firm BiGGAR now tries to put a value on...

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Swiss real estate market UBS Swiss Real Estate Bubble Index 4Q 2017

2018-02-07

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2018-02-07

Switzerland UBS Real Estate Bubble Index
The UBS Swiss Real Estate Bubble Index declined in the fourth quarter of 2017, and is currently in the risk zone at 1.32 index points. This second fall in succession was driven by the persistently low increase of mortgage volumes. However, this may have been underestimated, as the records of mortgages granted by insurers and pension funds are inadequate. The majority of the sub-indicators remained unchanged in the last quarter.

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Swiss hospitals join forces in battle against cancer

2018-02-07

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In Fribourg, the cantonal hospital is joining forces with a private clinic to tackle prostate and breast cancers. This kind of partnership is a first in Switzerland and has earned international recognition. (RTS/swissinfo.ch) — swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide …

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Getting precious metals from dry slag

2018-02-07

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A modern facility in the Zurich Oberland that sorts precious metals from dry slag has turned out to be a veritable gold mine, with some of its finds yielding millions of francs. It’s a great example of how valuable raw materials can be recovered from waste.(SRF/swissinfo.ch) — swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss …

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New Swiss tourism boss targets Alpine cyclists and non-skiers

2018-02-06

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2018-02-06

New head of Switzerland Tourism Martin Nydegger expects hotel bookings to rise by 4% this winter season, owing to abundant snow. In an interview with Sonntagszeiting and Le Matin Dimanche newspapers, he also talks about priorities for 2018. Nydegger took over on January 1 from Jürg Schmid, who had headed the organizationexternal link for 18 years. He says he is planning some changes, but not a big shakeup.

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The secret life of a bunker

2018-02-05

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There is a place, in the Graubünden mountains, which remained top secret until 1994… Nouvo brings you short videos about Switzerland, Swiss current affairs and the wider world. Keep up to date and watch the videos wherever you are, whenever you like. — swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its …

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Motorway stickers set to bring in CHF350 million

2018-02-04

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2018-02-04

Anyone wanting to drive on Swiss motorways from Thursday will need the new 2018 vignette, a charge sticker which is placed inside one’s windscreen, costing CHF40 ($42.90). The Federal Customs Administration said on Wednesday it expected to sell around 9.6 million vignettes, resulting in a net income of some CHF347 million.

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Swiss face longer commutes

2018-02-04

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2018-02-04

The average commute time to work in Switzerland was 30 minutes in 2016, or 14.8 kilometres (9.2 miles), according to the Federal Statistical Office. This is 7% more than in 2010. Every day, 3.9 million people, out of a labour force of 4.8 million, commuted to work in 2016 – up from 2.9 million in 1990.

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Swiss cross-border shopping not always worth it, says study

2018-02-03

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2018-02-03

Carrefour
In 2015, Swiss residents made 24 million shopping trips abroad. The average Swiss-based cross-border shopper travelled 69 kilometres to shop in a neighbouring country, 55 kilometres further than they did when shopping in Switzerland, according to a study published by Credit Suisse.

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More fighter jets grounded after cracks found

2018-02-03

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2018-02-03

The Swiss Air Force has found cracks in a further three of its 30 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets. The aircraft have been taken out of action, the defence ministry said on Friday. A broken hinge was first discovered on a landing flap of an F/A-18C during an intermediate inspection at the end of Januaryexternal link. It was then decided to submit all remaining F/A-18 jetsexternal link to tests, to ensure their air worthiness and safety.

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Switzerland ranked ‘global capital of bank secrecy’

2018-02-02

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2018-02-02

Switzerland is the most secretive financial centre in the world, followed by the United States, according to the Tax Justice Network, a non-governmental organization that campaigns for greater transparency. The Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Germany, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and Guernsey (in descending order) were ranked in the top ten of the NGOs Financial Secrecy Indexexternal link, published on Tuesday.

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Push to extend shop opening hours to 8pm in Geneva

2018-02-01

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2018-02-01

Migros
The Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) in Geneva wants shopping hours in Geneva to be standardized and extended. In general, French-speaking Switzerland has stricter laws on opening hours that the rest of Switzerland. For example a Migros store in Zurich is open until 9pm every night except Sunday. A similar store in Geneva is only open until 9pm one day a week. The rest of the week it shuts between 6pm and 7:30pm.

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Swiss watch industry posts growth

2018-02-01

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2018-02-01

After two years of decline, the Swiss watch industry grew by 2.7% in 2017, according to the figures released by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) on Tuesday. Exports grew by 2.7 % to CHF19.9 billion ($21.3 billion) on 2016. “Growth returned sooner than expected,” said the FH in a press release.

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A quarter of Swiss workers stressed and exhausted, according to new research

2018-01-31

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2018-01-31

Work
Around a quarter of Swiss workers are stressed and exhausted, according to new research. A three-year study by the University of Bern and Zurich University of Applied Sciences, which covers the period from 2014 to 2016, estimates that this stress and exhaustion cost Swiss companies between CHF 5 and CHF 5.8 billion a year.

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Swiss court condemns €8 per hour wages of Polish workers

2018-01-31

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2018-01-31

A labour court in Geneva has ruled against a Polish subcontractor that underpaid its seconded employees working on a Geneva building site. The workers were earning €8 an hour, about a third of what the work warranted, the court said. The case has been ongoing for almost five years and was led by the UNIA trade union on behalf of the workers.

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Swiss continue to rent rather than buy houses

2018-01-30

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2018-01-30

Some 59% of Swiss households were rentals in 2015, according to the most recent figures. The average monthly rent across the country came in at just over CHF1,300 ($1,395). The numbers were released on Monday by the Federal Statistical Office and reflect the situation at the end of 2015, when 2.1 million rented accommodations were recorded.

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The global investment horizon for Q1 2018

2018-01-30

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Highlights from the #InvestecWealth Global Investment View video series, including comments on the SA economy, portfolio diversification and global economic outlook. Download the Global Investment View report here: http://bit.ly/2BBphHD. Get more Global Investment View insights: • Global investment icebergs to look out for in 2018 https://youtu.be/z6B0uSfIkpY • Global investment outlook https://youtu.be/xogB7xLHHq0 • What next for …...

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Outlook for the South African economy

2018-01-30

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There’s been a “renewed confidence” in the market since Ramaphosa’s election as ANC President, with a “huge ramp up in SA economy plays” – #InvestecWealth In its latest Global Investment View for Q1 2018, #InvestecWealth & Investment experts discuss the South African market’s positive reaction to current political events. In this video, Paul Deuchar, Head …

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Global investment icebergs to look out for in 2018

2018-01-30

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From transition risk to investor complacency, #InvestecWealth experts highlight the risks on their radar for Q1 2018. Following the release of the Global Investment View for the first quarter of 2018, Investec Wealth & Investment experts, Paul Deuchar and Alexandra Nortier, outline the major risks on the horizon, including the normalisation of interest rates, the …

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Investing in turbulent times

2018-01-30

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“What would’ve happened if you invested at the peak of the last five market crashes?” asks #InvestecWealth study. An Investec Wealth & Investment study explored whether it’s better to invest or sit on cash in turbulent times. Investec tested how a portfolio of 60% equities and 40% bonds would’ve performed over a ten-year period following …

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